Apparatus for indicating speed.



D. MCNEILL.

APPARATUS FOR INDICATING SPEED.

APPLICATION FILED IAN. I9. 19Is.

12,227,283. Patented May 22, 1917.

A Won/VH be rendered more sensitive to any variation i usr-ran srn'rns Param V carica.

DAVID MCNEILL, OF WATFORD, ENGLAND, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-FOURTH TO HARRY GEORGE SHORING, 0F CRICKLEWOOD, ENGLAND; ONE-FOURTHTO GEORGE LEONARD WATERFIELD AND ONE-FOURTH TO THOMAS `WA1.ERFI1E}LD, vOF' HIGI-IGATE, ENG- LAND.

APPARATUS Pon INDICATING SPEED.

PatentedMay 22, 1917.

Application led AJanuary 19, 1916. Serial No. 73,038.i Y

To all whom t may concern.'

Be it .known that I, DAVID MCNEILL, a

subject of Great Britain. and Ireland, re-v siding at Watford, in the county of Hert'- ford, England, have invented new and useful Improvements in Apparatus for Indicati other vehicles of the type wherein a centrifugal member on a rotating shaft controls the movement of a sleeve which through suit-V` able mechanism actuates a pointer along a horizontal or vertical rod or other supporting device and is also applicable for indicating the number of revolutions made by a shaft in a given time. The objects of my invention are to enable the reading of the dial to be more readily made inv a horizontal direction; to provide an indicating device more sensitive to variation in the speed of the vehicle, or shaft; to reduce the number of the working parts, and thereby the friction; to obviate vibration in the indicator hand, and to render the apparatus more compact, durable, and less costly in its construction than heretofore.

For this purpose mechanism is provided comprising, as heretofore, a spindle coupled up to the shaft of the vehicle, along which spindle va sleeve is capable of endwise movement when motion is imparted to it by the centrifugal-movement of a body to which it is connected, such body being coupledup to the spindle and revolving therewith.

Heretofore it has been well known to provide mechanism, comprising a sp1ndlecouV pled up to the driving shaft, along which spindle slides a sleeve Vcapable of endwise movement when motion is imparted to it by the centrifugal action of a body to which it is connected, such body being coupled up to the spindle 'and revolving therewith, and I do not intend that such shouldV be considered as in any way forming part of my Vinvention, which as stated above, has for its objects the provision of improved means, or

appliances, whereby the indicating device will operate in a horizontal direction; will in the speed of the vehicle, or shaft; to re.-

duce the number of working parts and therey by the friction; to vobviate vibration in the indicating hand, and to render the appal ratus more compact, durable, and less costly in itsconstruction than heretofore. y

Apparatus constructed according to my invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a front elevation with the dial plate removed, showing the mechanism in a state of rest.

Fig. 2 is a plan view of same.

Fig. 3 is a similar view to Fig. 1, showing v the position of the mechanism when the vehicle is travelingat the highest rate of speed to whichthe indicator is set.

Fig. 4 is a view to an enlarged scale showing an auxiliary spring arrangement, which assists in bringingthe indicator hand' back to'zero when the car is traveling at the lowest rate of speed upon the dial plate, or when the car is at rest.

VThe main bearing" (1) is coupled up in any well known manner to the driving shaft of the car and which through suitable reducing gear (3) imparts motion to the i spindle (4) along which slides the sleeve. (5) having'at one end thereof a disk (6) channeled upon its outer periphery (7), within which channel is the bent arm (8) of a lever (9) whose other arm (10) has upon its end a quadrant (11) i the teeth of which take 35 dicating hand (22) which moves over the f.

face of the dial through a longitudinal slot therein. The centrifugal moving body 23 is 10o connected to rand supported by one end of the sleeve (5), but its axle does not, as heretofore, pass through, nor is directly connected to, the operating spindle (41) the mo. tion of which is imparted to it through a 105V collar (25) Afixed lto the spindle (4) and a connecting link (26) whichis attachedv at, or near to, the outer rim (27) of the centr-if ugal body rIhis arrangement renders the' device more sensitive to the slightest variation in the speed of the mechanismhitherto than ifv the centrifugal body were directly connected to the driving spindle (4) and therefore enables the indicator hand: toY

show more accurately on the'dial plate the act-ual speed ofthe car. `Around the spindle (4)"a`nd situate between the collar 25 and vthe centrifugal moving body (23) is va springA (29), the action of which is tdkeep thel sleeve (24;)V Vcarrying the centrifugal body (23) in a'position in which the said body will lie 4in an oblique plane relatively Vto the` axisof the operating spindle The dial plate of the indicator must be calibrated-toaccord with the strength of the spring: 29. 3l is the auxiliary spring, wherebythe indicator hand is assistedin be# ing brought back to Zero when the car is traveling "at the lowest rate of speedy to which the dial is set, or when the car is at rest.

One end of spring is secured to the base of the casingk of the apparatus, its

other end1 being secured toV the spindle of thepinion l2. When the pinion 12 is turned by the yquadrant l1 while the indicator hand isf being moved vfrom'z'e'roto a higher rate of speed' on the "dialthespring 31 is being wound 'upon the spindle, the unwinding thereof assisting the movement ofthe forked lever 13 when it is traveling inthe opposite drectnn- I i Y It will be readily Vunderstood that by causing the supporting rods or bar s 19, 20,

to. assume a circular or semi-circular form ,a'dial plate, circular or semi-circular Copies:v or Vpatent may be obtained f or class described, a dial plate having a, rectilinear scale, a slide mounted for rectilinear movement in a path parallel to the dial scale, an indicating handy carried4 by. theislide and adapted to tnaversethe scale, a leverhavng sliding Connection with the slide, a spindle, and speed-controlled means for transmitting motion from the spindle to the said lever.

2. ln a speed indicating apparatus of the y class described, a rotary spindle, a sleeve slidablymounted on the said spindle, a centrifugal governingbody supported by the sleeve and having its medial portion con,- nected directly thereto, means for connecting the governing body' at'its periphery with the spindle for rotation therewith, anindicator, and meansactuatedby axial, displacel Y ment of the sleeve on the Vspindle for transmitting motion to the indicator,

3. In a speed indicating apparatus ofi-the class described, arotary spindle, a sleeve,

slidably mounted on the said spindle, `a cen-` trifugal governingA body supported by thei sleeve and having its medial portionconnectl ed directly thereto, means for connecting the governing body at its periphery withl'the spindle for rotation therewith, *an` indicator, and speed-multiplying means actuated by anial` displacement of the Isleeve on` the spindle forv transmitting motion towthe dicator. Y Y Y L In n Speed. ndnatng apparatus' ofthe class described, ay rotary spindle, f a" sleeve slidably mounted on the said spindle, al cennftngalv governing body Snrportd by the sleeveand having. its medial portion :connect ed directly thereto, a link connectingfthe governing bedr nf its, rnrirhnny with" the,

toy

spindle for rotaticn therewith, an indicator, and meansv actuated Vby axial displacement Y ofthe sleeve (on the spindle transmitting motionvt'o the indicator. J

4In testimony whereof I have signed my name. to this speciic'ationinthe presence of two subscribing witnesses; f d y V DAVE) MCNEILL- V Witnesses: ,Y Y

i JAMES G. S'rokns,

FLORENCE EQHEINQEIQ v cents each, by addressing the," Gorm'missiiorner ofrfPate'nts, n Washington, 11,0. 1 Y f Y Y 1 

